Donald Trump’s threat to liberal democracy became all the more evident in his recent online engagement with Elon Musk, highlighting hitherto undisclosed risks. Trump’s prominent offer to Musk, inviting him to join any future administration should Trump secure victory in the forthcoming November elections, was warmly received by Musk.
On a geopolitical note, Trump’s praise for Putin’s Russia and his strong criticism of the European Union did not garner any objection from Musk. This could be a reflection of Musk’s acknowledgement that the greatest danger to his misuse of X/Twitter is the EU’s potential to introduce stringent accountability regimes for internet-based political misinformation and instigation, targeting owners and executives.
Trump, in contrast, has always exhibited a deep-seated hostility towards the EU. During his tenure, he sided with and openly endorsed European politicians lobbying for the EU’s disintegration. He harbours resentment towards the EU for their ability to contest the economic might of the USA, even inciting a restricted tariff conflict with the EU.
Trump once again propagated his untruth that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 election, a claim that Musk did not refute. Trump is staunchly dedicated to freeing those imprisoned for their involvement in the Capitol breach on 6th January. His assertion that Putin would not have instigated the Ukraine invasion had he remained in office reveals a peculiar approach to hypothetical reasoning. Notably, Putin’s first effective invasion of Ukraine can be traced back to 2014.
Throughout his presidency, Trump never disheartened Putin’s gradual territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, which reached its peak during the humiliating Helsinki summit. Trump, along with his congressional sympathisers, strived to cut financial aid to Biden’s endeavours to bolster Volodymyr Zelenskiy once the full-blown invasion commenced.
The only credible scenario in which Trump could have possibly prevented Russia’s invasion would have necessitated Russia being granted de facto control over Ukraine as part of a deal. In this scenario, Zelenskiy’s government would have been surreptitiously overthrown and forsaken.
Indications suggest that a second term of presidency for Trump may satiate Putin’s ambition to reassert the Soviet era’s influence over Eastern Europe. This is evident from Trump’s recent approval of Viktor Orban, offering a potential pointer to the future trajectory of US policy if he secures a return to the White House.
There is a conspicuous absence of evidence supporting the idea that Trump values the territorial sovereignty of Eastern European nations. It appears plausible that he would welcome a fresh collaboration with Russia, which could lead to the Finlandisation of locations including the Baltic States, Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova.
When it comes to North Korea, Trump’s exchanges with Kim Jong Un during his administration have proven to be largely ineffectual. In spite of Trump’s hollow threats to act definitively, the DPRK continues to develop nuclear warheads and construct intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Questions arise regarding Trump’s stance on Taiwan as well. He blames Taipei for ‘seizing’ the US semiconductor industry and implies that Taiwan should recompense the US for its defence. This hints at an attitude that sees global alliances as nothing more than a coarse pay-for-protection scheme.
A peculiar highlight of Monday’s ‘conversation’ saw Musk – who in 2022 deemed Trump too aged for the position and supported Ron De Santis for the republican nomination – suddenly shift his support to Trump. This turn of events led to the promotion of the electric car concept. Trump justified this change on the basis that Musk was now a supporter and had plans to set up a fundraising PAC to back Trump’s campaign in November.
As Fintan O’Toole highlights, Musk is notorious for promoting falsehoods, misinformation, and controversial statements. He has actively removed internal checks and balances from X/Twitter to regulate its content.
Both Trump and Musk have exhibited viciousness, spitefulness, and a complete denial of any truth that may be an annoyance. They label those who oppose them as ‘nasty’ or ‘paedos’. Confirming our worst fears about Trump’s character, his niece and sister have made shocking revelations, as has Musk’s father about his son’s outlook. We’ve been given fair warning.
The 1974 political thriller, The Conversation by Francis Ford Coppola, was a cinematic masterpiece. Could we consider Monday’s ‘discussion’ a sneak peek of an impending terror film? There’s truly every justification for us to feel the mounting dread.